In a bustling port town of the East Blue, Buggy gnashed his teeth in frustration as he scanned a freely distributed newspaper.
Whether by fluke, chance, or sheer audacity, the pirate who had bested him was making waves with outrageous deeds. Using the press to expose the Navy's corruption and loudly proclaiming their piracy, they'd catapulted their name to infamy.
It was practically a declaration of war. Few pirates would dare stir such a storm.
Their actions were clearly calculated to gain notoriety, the kind of flamboyant move common among attention-hungry pirates across the seas. But this stunt? It painted a target on their backs for the Navy. No one seeking safety would dream of it.
Thanks to the newspaper, their faces and names were now known worldwide.
Envy mingled with irritation as Buggy tore the paper to shreds, his emotions spilling over.
Seated on a wooden chair at a table by the port, he drew curious glances from townsfolk. They didn't cower at the sight of him—merely regarded him as an oddity before moving on.
"Damn it!" Buggy spat, his voice dripping with venom. "Pulling off something this flashy while I'm out of the picture, huh, Straw Hat?!"
The tattered newspaper scraps fluttered away in the breeze.
Panting with rage, Buggy quickly regained his composure, his expression shifting to a sly grin. "But it's just as I predicted," he sneered. "That Straw Hat's making a big name for himself. I'd be a fool not to use this. The bigger his fame grows, the louder my name will echo when I crush him underfoot! My Buggy Alliance will dominate the seas! Gyahaha!"
His solitary cackle rang out, painting him as a peculiar figure in the empty port.
But soon enough, a handful of figures approached. Several sailing ships had just docked, and familiar faces disembarked one after another.
"Captain, these are the first ones," Moji announced, stepping forward.
"Good, they're here. Let's hear what they've got to say," Buggy replied, leaning back.
Moji ushered forward a lean man without weapons—Captain Kuro. Once believed executed as a pirate, his "death" had been a ruse. He stood before them in the same sharp butler's attire, his gaze as piercing as ever.
Buggy had heard the reports and welcomed him with confidence. "Take a seat," he said. "Tell me, what drives you to join my alliance?"
Kuro snorted. "I don't trust the likes of you. But one man ruined everything—my plans, my life. I've nowhere else to go, so I'm back to piracy. And I want them dealt with."
"Perfect," Buggy said, grinning. "You'll gain real power with us. Sign here."
He gestured to a parchment on the table, a pen conveniently placed beside it. Kuro scrawled his signature, and Buggy nodded with satisfaction.
"Alright, stick around a bit," Buggy said. "More forces are coming. Next!"
Kuro stepped aside, and Cabaji brought forward the next figure—a towering man with a lion-like mane and dark skin. El Drago, stripped of his golden armor.
"Let's hear it," Buggy said. "Why do you hate Straw Hat?"
"He stole my gold and ran!" El Drago roared. "That treasure was mine! If he hadn't interfered, I'd have mountains of gold in my hands!"
"I feel you," Buggy said, his tone sympathetic. "Same thing happened to me."
"I'll kill him and take back my treasure!" El Drago bellowed. "Justice is on my side!"
"Good enough for me," Buggy replied. "Sign here. You'll get your chance to go wild."
El Drago signed the parchment and stepped away, replaced by the next candidate.
This one made Buggy's brow furrow. Clad in a prisoner's uniform, a massive axe grafted to his right arm, the man was unmistakable. Buggy's eyes widened with surprise as he recognized Axe-Hand Morgan.
"Well, well, an unexpected guest," Buggy said. "Axe-Hand Morgan, is it?"
"Straw Hat took everything," Morgan growled, his voice hollow. "My status, my honor, my wealth, my power—gone. I've got nothing left. I'll kill him and take it all back. If that means turning pirate, so be it."
"Well, now, that's interesting," Buggy said, intrigued. "Sign here. You're in—welcome aboard."
Morgan signed with his left hand, his ghostly demeanor lingering as he drifted away. A former Marine, driven to piracy by desperation—what a catch.
The next figure took a seat, and Buggy's interest piqued further. This man's bounty once surpassed his own. Don Krieg, former admiral of a pirate fleet, sat before him, armorless but no less imposing.
"What's your story with Straw Hat?" Buggy asked.
"Don't make me relive it," Krieg spat. "I'll crush him. The Pirate King title belongs to me. My forces are depleted, so I'm using you lot to get there. That's all."
"Hmm, you've still got fifteen ships under you, don't you?" Buggy noted.
"Used to be over fifty," Krieg said bitterly. "Now look at me."
"No need to mope," Buggy said. "We'll use each other to climb higher."
He pointed to the parchment, and Krieg signed without hesitation before leaving.
Buggy stared at the signed parchment, a triumphant grin spreading across his face. Alvida approached, resting a hand on his shoulder with a sultry smile. "Quite the turnout," she purred. "Who'd have thought so many big names would join up—and with a fleet to boot?"
"Seems the winds are blowing my way," Buggy said, smirking.
The lineup was impressive: Captain Kuro, the schemer thought dead; El Drago, the 12 million Berry "Lion Flash"; Axe-Hand Morgan, former Marine and 153rd Branch commander; Don Krieg, admiral of a fifteen-ship fleet. Add to that Alvida, the Iron Mace, and Buggy himself, the alliance's mastermind.
The East Blue's most notorious pirates had united.
Pleased with the gathered forces, Buggy rose with a flourish. His key lieutenants stood assembled at the port, their ships looming behind them. The air crackled with anticipation as the alliance's warriors awaited their moment.
Buggy strode before them, launching into a rousing speech, his voice booming to reach even those at the back. The atmosphere grew charged, electric with purpose.
"Listen up, you lot!" Buggy bellowed. "We're bound by a shared goal. There's no hierarchy here, no one above or below. We're not here to play nice or trust each other blindly. But we do have a common enemy—an arrogant punk strutting through the East Blue, kicking us down with a smug grin!"
A fierce roar erupted from the crowd, echoed by cheers from the ships.
"I'm not asking for trust," Buggy continued. "But to take him down, we need each other. From here on, we sail these seas together, using one another for one purpose: to take the head of that damned Straw Hat!"
The pirates' shouts grew louder, their weapons striking the ground and ships in a rhythmic thud, thud. The port transformed, consumed by the raw, menacing energy of the gathered pirates. No one could witness it without a shiver of fear.
Countless voices rose in unison, fueled by Buggy's words, their spirits soaring. Even if the Navy appeared, these pirates would likely charge headlong, obliterating their foes to dust. The air thrummed with their ferocity.
Buggy spread his arms wide, his voice thundering before his lieutenants. "Here we go! The Straw Hat Takedown Alliance rises!"
"WOOOAAAHHH!" The pirates' roar shook the earth, rattled the air, and sent ripples across the water.
Weapons raised skyward, they bellowed their defiance, united in their vow to crush Straw Hat Luffy.
Buggy reveled in the moment, his grin wide and gleeful. But beneath it, his mind churned with darker schemes, the true source of his delight.
(Heh, what simpletons. This went better than I expected. With this kind of firepower, no one'll dare touch us. I won't even have to lift a finger—gold and treasures will come rolling in! Heck, dominating the Grand Line might not be a pipe dream after all. My ambitions are growing, baby!)
While plotting revenge against Straw Hat Luffy, Buggy saw a bigger prize: leading this alliance would elevate his name without effort. He hadn't missed a single angle.
He'd claimed there was no hierarchy among the pirate crews—and that wasn't a lie. But as the alliance's mastermind, Buggy stood above them all, a detail he conveniently left vague.
(You foolish pirates. I'll use you to skyrocket my fame. Soon, no one in the East Blue will dare cross me. After all, I'm Buggy, the supreme leader of this alliance!)
Gazing skyward, he laughed louder than anyone, his scheming just beginning to unfold.
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